I was not expecting to be sobbing at the end of this one yet here we are. What a fascinating read?!

When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory is a road trip novel following a group of people on a cross country bus tour that takes them to see Impossibles—unthinkable sights you wouldn’t believe to exist such as a frozen tornado—in a world where they have received earth shattering news that they are living in a simulation. This sci-fi novel deals with larger themes including grief, family, friendship, love, ethics in artificial intelligence, existentialism, and identity.

Review:

Like a few other readers, the writing style and point of view took some time to get used to and made the story a tad hard to follow in the beginning. After a small chunk, though, I was fully immersed and engaged in the story.

One of my favorite things about this book is the character work. I loved that the book switches between a fascinating set of characters who made me feel almost every emotion it’s possible to feel: anger, joy, happiness, sadness, elation. One character in particular made me want to scream and shout every time the POV shifted back to them.

As we get to know each character, though, we see that this book is a book that provokes discussions around existentialism and meaning—which is another element I loved because it forces readers to almost situate themselves in the story. What would you do if you were just told you were in a simulation? This is truly a reflective read—another positive.

After being told they are in a simulation, each character has reckoned with this earth shattering news in their own way. These characters with their own distinct personalities and journeys felt authentic to follow, which is of course due to Gregory’s character work.

Overall, I highly recommend this novel. It’s fun, entertaining, and very wild.

Thanks to Saga Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. This review will also be posted on my social media account (instagram.com/mediaonmedia) around publication day. I can’t wait to share this with everyone!!

This cross country tour bus is full of wacky characters, confusing architecture, and the occasional heart-felt moment. Also super weird, indestructible sheep. We follow a variety of characters: a man with cancer, a pregnant influencer, a truth-busting podcaster, a rabbi and two nuns, a tour guide on her first day at work. The best part of this is watching everybody grow into (mostly) better versions of themselves, interspersed with absolutely absurd attractions.

Things I liked:
The weird amalgamation of characters, the cool simulated experiences (simperiences?) and the character growth.

Issues I had:
It got a liiiiitle long, but that's my only complaint.

When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory was such an interesting story. I found myself completely engrossed in it for the most part.

The concept overall was really fascinating. Finding these strange glitches that exist in the world while learning more and more about the characters keeps the story intriguing.

I think the third person writing style did make me feel a little distant from the characters and it feels like a long book when you are reading it but the end really ties everything together.

I can definitely see this being a popular book and one I would recommend to people that like lighter scifi that feels more literary. While it wasn’t a perfect book for me, I know the audience I would recommend this to!

When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory is a highly recommended road trip novel melded with a science fiction tome and a buddy adventure. This is a highly entertaining, exciting, and frustrating read.

Seven years earlier came the Announcement which revealed our world is a digital simulation. After that, the Impossibles, the physics-defying glitches and geographic miracles started cropping up. The North American Impossibilities Tour through the Canterbury Trails Tour Company takes customers on a bus to sites caused by glitches in the code. The sites include in part a frozen tornado, anti-gravity geysers, a flock of sheep made of clouds, a tunnel that runs outside of time, a rectangular canyon where gravity reorients and Ghost City.

JP “The Engineer,” who has a brain tumor, and Dulin, “The Comic Book Writer,” have been the best friends for decades and sign up for the tour. Other participants who initially are introduced by nicknames, include: Janet and Patrice, “The Nuns,” Gregory "the Rabbi," Beth-Anne, “The Nurse,” Lisa Marie the pregnant "influencer," the proud grandmother, the reader, the Octos, the realist and son, the honeymooners, the tour guide, and the professor.

A seating chart for the bus is included at the opening of the novel and readers will learn the names of the participants, with the exception of the Octos. It may be a bit confusing at first, but everyone is given a distinct voice and personality. It becomes clear that they all have their own motives for taking the tour. The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of multiple individual characters.

The premise that everyone is living in a simulation and they know it is intriguing and begs the questions who is in charge, can you change trajectories, and is it possible to delete things. Adding the glitches the Impossibles represent to the world makes it even more interesting. All the participants on the tour have their own reasons to take the tour and their discussions and experiences on the tour are in the forefront while they grapple with existential questions.

The action and personal journeys of each character expands beyond the road trip to confront even larger issues. This along with some of the discussions and actions along the way made this a frustrating novel. It is also, as I mentioned, highly entertaining.

When We Were Real is ultimately a literary novel that covers several different genres. This could provide lively discussions for a book club, assuming you could get it on the agenda. Thanks to Saga Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This was honestly such a fun retelling of the Canterbury Tales. I laughed quite a bit while reading this because the characters were just funny to me. I love how the son was embarrassed of his conspiracy theorist dad, that was honestly my favorite relationship I think. This makes me want to read more from this author. I also adore this cover.

Thank you to Saga Press for the early review copy!

First of all, thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free e-copy of When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory for review. I really enjoyed reading this quirky novel. Even though the premise ventures into the absurdly weird with fantastical elements, it never loses sight of the grounded beating heart of the plot. At the center is a loving tribute to how friendship and human connection can be the ultimate navigator in life.

Im sure this is a great book, and there's lots of great feedback, but I couldn't stand the constant switching of POV and third person perspective.

***Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this upcoming book***
This is the 3rd Daryl Gregory book that I've read and while I didn't enjoy this one as much as the other 2, it was still a very fun if confusing read.

The story centers on a tour bus full of colorful characters that are going across the country and stopping to see all of the "impossibles"....you see, it was announced that all of existence is in fact a simulation and these impossibles are glitches in the simulation that double as tourist traps. Yeah, this is a weird book.

This was 3 stars for me originally but it gets bumped up to 4 because of the really fun cast of characters and the sheer originality of it. The ending left me more confused than I was at the beginning of the book, but I just stopped overthinking about it and enjoyed the ride. Give it a read!

I've loved Daryl Gregory's work all the way back to The Devil's Alphabet. He's been one of my favorite authors ever since. I don't know anyone else who can make me think, make me laugh, and make me obsess over a story the way he can. So believe me when I say that I was incredibly excited to get the chance to read it. If you want the quick summary: This book is brilliant.

I loved the characters. I loved the Canterbury Tales references. I loved the twists and turns. I loved the humor, the mind-bending-ness of where the story goes, and I loved the ending. I don't know how Gregory pulls it off, but I'm now deeply obsessed by this book. I'm pretty likely to turn around now and re-read it all over again--that's how much I love this novel.

The idea behind this plot might seem a little depressing to you at first glance, but give it a chance, please. I think that it's ultimately an incredibly hopeful, incredibly joyous read, and you would be doing yourself a grave disservice to skip this one.

I was a little hesitant when I first started this book but once I got into it I loved it! I loved the concept it is so creative!! Sometimes keeping up with all the different characters is a little hard but that’s just me. I loved this book it checked all the boxes for me as someone who loves conspiracies!

Too often books like this -- with fantastic concepts -- fail to live up to the premise. Not the case here! The execution of this fascinating idea far surpassed my expectations. Not only was it thought-provoking with mind-boggling developments every hundred pages or so; it was populated by entertaining, sympathetic characters and truly hilarious banter. Already a likely contender for "favorite book of the year."

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory from Saga Press via NetGalley. It should be published April 1, 2025. How appropriate!

When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory explores one of my favorite theories, what if this is all a simulation? Would it change how you approached life? Is it that different from believing in a god that created everything and let it just play out? Or would you go on a cross-country bus tour to see the oddities the programmers created? That's what this eclectic group does. What happens next is not what anyone could have predicted. Things get crazy! Even crazier than learning that life is a simulation, and you are nothing more than computer code. I didn't really want to put this book down, partly because I wanted to know what happened next and partly because I liked noodling over the questions this brings up about life in general. Also, there is a good bit of humor so don't worry that it will be too serious.

Seven years ago it was announced that our world is merely a digital stimulation. That same day, physics defying glitches “the Impossibles” appeared. A group is now together going on a tour of the Impossibles.

I loved the concept of this and all the Impossibles. It was so creative. I enjoyed reading about each one and wish that was even more heavily weighed on. At first I was put off by all the characters, but I quickly got to know them and they were all different; a few very hateable. It was slightly longer than it needed to be but it was a fun read.

“Why was anyone shocked that the world was not in our control, and that nothing we did mattered? The simulators could hit reset at any time, or climate change would kill ya. Same difference.”

When We Were Real comes out 4/1.

This book pretty much checked all the boxes for me! It is a great speculative story with fun sci-fi elements. This story picks up seven years after humanity was told that they have been living in a simulation. Getting that answered spurs way more questions than answers and the characters of this book all grapple with this information differently.

The variety of characters are brought together on a bus tour that’s traveling cross country, visiting the newly appeared “Impossibles,” which are geographic miracles that defy physics that are sprinkled across the country. And each one is stranger than the last.

One of the passengers is a professor with quite the backstory that is revealed as the story unfolds. She’s embedded herself on this bus tour to hide from a group of young men who believe the Matrix is real and that’s the simulation they’re inside. I loved the references to the film franchise in this book and adds a ton of entertainment value - and great context of a simulation if you’re familiar with the films.

Other characters include a young pregnant social media influencer, a couple of nuns, a rabbi (no I am not setting up a joke,) a pair of middle aged men BFFs (the story is mainly centered around these two guys) and octogenarians who always want to get it on.

Overall all the characters are strong and the plot is great. There are some crazy theoretical sci-fi parts that center mostly around sim theory and computer science. But full grasp of these isn’t essential to following the book and they’re kind of fun, if you ask me!

Thanks to Saga Press, Netgalley and Daryl Gregory for the complimentary ebook in exchange for my honest feedback.

Are you looking for an adventure? Well then, hop on the bus for the North American Impossibles Tour, an eight day ride through the physics puzzles of the land—you’ll see the Frozen Tornado, the Hollow Flock, the Zipper, and Ghost City! It’s the tour guide’s first day on the job but don’t worry, she’s got anxiety and a binder to guide you. It’s been seven years since the Announcement that we’re all actually living in a simulation, and the simulation has started to, well, glitch. But now that everyone’s done freaking out about it, we can monetize that, right? Right. On board is a cast of vibrant characters—narratively referred to by their archetypes, like THE INFLUENCER, THE RABBI, and THE HONEYMOONERS—that are either going to band together or do severe psychic damage to each other. Daryl Gregory’s latest is an absolute riot and a joy from the jump. As the characters wrestle with reality (and each other), we’re taken on a whirlwind tour of weirdness. And I, for one, could not be more ready to go.

Who's up for a scifi road trip? A Hitchhiker's Guide-style romp through The Matrix? Or maybe a futuristic retooling of Canterbury Tales?

Sound like fun? Sign me up!

"Begin again! Yesterday is just information to help you decide how you want to live today!"

(The Reader is my favorite character. 🤫)

Highly recommend this one! Just enough weird mixed with just enough sentiment! And a little Wonderland for the icing on the cake!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
If you love dystopian style books, this is it.
The detail of the characters is so well written, descriptive and the adventures really make yoy wonder if this is where society is headed in the future.
This book will definitely keep your attention.

Hi!

This is my review of When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory.

This book was fantastic! It was a bit longer than I usually read, but it was totally worth it. The way the stories all come together in the end is so tragic and incredible. I fell in love with so many of these characters.

The way the characters are developed throughout the book is great. At the beginning, they are reduced to titles. As the story goes on, however, they are completely fleshed out.

This is a great book, and I strongly recommend it.

When We Were Real is near-near-future SF, or possibly present-day SF in any one of a number of realities. The concept -- we are all living in a simulation, and were made aware of this seven years ago -- is intriguing. A varied cast of characters are on a bus tour organized by Canterbury Trails (two nuns this time, Chaucer lovers!), visiting a series of Impossibles left behind by whoever is actually running the simulation. These sites are all violations of the laws of nature, physics, or both, and the pilgrims themselves are pretty messed up to begin with.

The author's omniscient point of view allows him to shift from character to character, generally one character per chapter, as the story moves forward. This works well most of the time, though it took me a while to get everyone straightened out and keep track of whose personal plotlines were intersecting. The Impossibles themselves (beginning with a Frozen Tornado and progressing in orders of weirdness to the Zipper) are the most obviously sfnal bits of the book. The hard-science explanations of why they're Impossible do tend to bog down the narrative a bit, however

Gregory is a terminally witty writer, and I found myself highlighting numerous lines as I clicked through the chapters. The plot situations become increasingly bizarre, occasionally at the expense of clarity. If you're a fan of surreal, consciously literary work, this isn't likely to bother you. If you're accustomed to more conventionally linear texts, it may.

There's plenty to think about here, and more than enough action (physical and emotional) to keep the pages turning/clicking. The last couple of chapters, however, were a real disappointment to me. Although most plot entanglements get untangled, at least one does so in a brutally random manner. The resolution draws upon several possible endings -- which makes sense within the context of "reality" as a simulation, but leaves a last impression of vagueness. I'd call this a solid four-star read for those seeking SF-flavored Literature -- but for mainstream SF readers like myself, possibly a three.

Wow, I really liked this one. It had so many layers that I wasn't expecting, especially as I got closer to the end.

When I started the story, something about it made me think of Tom Robbins... I think maybe it was the way the narration began by defining each character's role. Or maybe it was the irreverent tone? Or the absurdist streak defining the events taking place? Either way, I suspected I was in for a treat.

It felt like there were a lot of characters to keep track of in the beginning, but they were well drawn so that helped. Although not everyone was given proper names, no one was extraneous and even the smaller characters had an arc.

I always love imaginative stories and the way the plot unfolded was so creative and fun. The book blurb came across as a bit silly but the stakes felt real as we got to know these strangers and their backstories. I appreciated the new philosophies that had evolved as the characters has adjusted to their "new" circumstances... and just how much stayed the same. The major questions are all still unanswered: Who's in charge? What happens next? Does free will exist?

Nit-Picks: I found some of the settings to be confusing, especially the physics of the Zipper. Every time the author described where something was located within the Zipper, I couldn't picture it and I finally gave up trying. I also found myself pulled out of the story when it came to Lisa Marie. A 9-month-pregnant lady can't lay on her back because the baby is too heavy... and a baby can't be manually held in the mother's body when it's trying to be born. It will go into fetal distress and die in a very short time, which is why emergency c-sections are done quickly and urgently. I know this will not be a big deal for the vast majority of the audience but I found it to be super distracting.

Beyond that, I was a huge fan of this story. I LOVED the final chapter in Ghost City. I plan to read the whole thing again and see what I discover this time around. I suspect it will be as one of the Octos says, the book seems to change every time you read it.

I'm so glad I was able to read this ahead of publication and I look forward to buying a hard copy once it's available.